Monday, July 27, 2015

"But before you come to any conclusionsTry walking in my shoes Try walking in my shoes"-"Walking In My Shoes", Depeche Mode Hi there, everyone... Olivia here, and I'm sick of hearing people dump all over Caitlyn Jenner!!! And sadly, among the large number of her detractors are some of the transgender community... I wonder why a community that pleads for recognition and acceptance would turn against one of their own. I wonder why some of the people going through the distress we all endure would discount someone else's struggle. I wonder where the empathy went.

When I was in gender therapy very, VERY early in my transition (just last year, but it seems like a lifetime ago), I learned that everyone transitions differently, & that everyone's transition is different. Sure, Caitlyn Jenner's transition isn't "typical", but who among us can claim one that is?!? Every single person on the planet is different, whether they're transitioning or not. We all celebrate different successes; we all fight through different hardships. I've seen it posted on Facebook many times... "Everyone you meet could be fighting a battle that you know nothing about... Be kind." That also applies to Caitlyn Jenner as well. I'd be willing to bet that there were, and still are; troubles that she's been through that either were not filmed or ended up on the cutting room floor. We ALL have pain and suffering in our lives... How we respond to it is the difference...

Did YOU have to transition under the gaze of a community who was sharply, & perhaps overly critical of most every move you made or didn't make?!? Did YOU have to transition where EVERYONE knew you beforehand, & had an opinion about your transition, whether you wanted them to or not?!? Did YOU know everything about everything early in your transition?!? (I KNOW I didn't; and STILL don't... I'm learning new things every single day; and I know that I still have enormous, gigantic MOUNTAINS of stuff to learn...) Did anyone feel that YOU were transitioning simply to get publicity?!? Did anyone suggest that YOU had to help out those trans people who were way worse off than you, forgetting that you're also transitioning as well?!? If Caitlyn Jenner has to help trans people just because she's rich and they're not; then why hasn't someone like, say, Donald Trump, helped out more people? Built homeless shelters instead of casinos, perhaps? He's rich, and they're not... Yet no one is blasting Trump because he didn't do any of that...

I had said in an earlier blog that "Everyone transitions in their own time, even heroes." Well, I'd like to reiterate the simple fact that we're ALL different. We ALL have our crosses to bear... There are those who simply can't bear that pain. 41% of all trans people have attempted suicide (including myself) Trans people are being murdered worldwide; the death toll continues to climb... There were three trans women murdered in three days just last week.

Have YOU had to go through ANY of the things I mentioned earlier? My guess is that you haven't.If not, then how can you judge Caitlyn Jenner?!? She's doing her best, folks; as are we all. Give her a chance to shine... She's only been out a couple months, and trans awareness has already risen sharply. Given time, who KNOWS what she; or any of us, for that matter, can achieve?!?